Comoro Islands

Comoro Islands

(known by the local inhabitants as the Moon Islands), a group of six islands in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Africa. The Comoros were a French territory until 1975; they are now an independent state. Area, 2,171 sq km; population, 280,000 (1970). The inhabitants are primarily Antaloatra (of Arab descent), mixed with the Malagasy and Bantu peoples. The administrative center is Moroni, on Grande Comore Island. The islands, which are composed of basalts, are of volcanic origin; there are some active volcanoes. Elevations reach 2,560 m. The Comoro Islands are surrounded by coral reefs. The climate is tropical, hot, and humid. The annual precipitation is 1,100–3,000 mm. The upper regions of the slopes are covered with dense tropical forests; at lower elevations there are savannas and thickets. There are plantations on which rice, sugarcane, coconuts, bananas, coffee trees, and cloves are cultivated. Livestock is also raised. The Comoro Islands were discovered in 1598 by the Dutch navigator K. Hoetman. (According to other sources, they were discovered in 1591 by the British navigator J. Lancaster.)

The plane plunged into the sea as it came in to land at Moroni, the capital of the formerly French-ruled Comoros archipelago, which comprises three islands off mainland east Africa and northwest of Madagascar.

Past failures of malaria elimination in Zanzibar off the coast of mainland Tanzania; in Sri Lanka (1); or in Mayotte, a France-administered island of the Comoros archipelago (7), raise the question of the minimal geographic isolation level and the optimal size of intervention area required for malaria elimination success.

The girl, identified as Bakari Bahia, was pulled from the sea after the plane crashed on its way in to land at Moroni - the capital of the main island of the Comoros archipelago - under darkness on Tuesday morning.

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.